Golfers club together to raise cash for life-changing operation for four-year-old

The members of the Rotary Club of Ascot raised £8,000 at the gold day last year, which has been donated to the family of Zakk Burks, who was born with severe brain damage and since then has been diagnosed with severe quad spastic cerebral palsy.

Children With Special Needs Foundation founder Gordon Parris (holding the cheque) with Zakk, Melanie and Mellie Burks, and members of Ascot Rotary Club

Charitable golfers have helped a four-year-old boy raise enough money for a life-changing operation in America.

Zakk Burks, of Sunninghill, was born with severe brain damage and since then has been diagnosed with severe quad spastic cerebral palsy.

His condition includes health issues such as unsafe swallowing, gastric reflux, epilepsy, visual impairment, development delay and means his muscles are painful, tight and often go into spasm.

Last year Zakk’s mum, Mel, began a fundraising campaign to raise £60,000 to pay for the procedure at St Louis Hospital in Missouri as well as his long-term physiotherapy and equipment.

By June this year she had managed to raise £52,000 and the final £8,000 has been donated by the Children With Special Needs Foundation (CWSNF) using funds raised at last year’s Rotary Club of Ascot Charity Golf Day.

Alan Rawlinson, the club’s branch president, said “We are delighted that the proceeds of our Golf Day are being used in this way, and we would like to express our best wishes to Zakk and his family on their journey and through the medical procedures to come.

“We all hope for a successful outcome to the operation.”

On Wednesday, August 6, the club presented a cheque to Mrs Burks, Zakk and his sister Millie, along with Gordon Parris, founder of CWSNF.

The money will be transferred to St Louis Hospital and Zakk and his family will be travelling out later this month in order for the operation to take place on Thursday, September 4.

The operation, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, is hoped to ease the pain Zakk suffers from on a daily basis and stop his muscles tightening enabling him to walk.

The money will not only go towards the cost of the operation, specialist equipment and physiotherapy but will also mean his family are able to stay in America with him through the procedure and his recovery.

To sign up a team of four up to the Rotary Club of Ascot’s next charity golf day which will take place at Mill Ride Golf Club, North Ascot on Friday, September 12, call John Baker on (01344) 425440 or go to www.rotaryascot.org/golf